<p>For those parents looking for the "ultimate financial safety" for your high stat kid, I don't think you are going to do better than this. I sure wish some other states were paying attention. (I really like St. Mary's of Md and Truman State,too but ......this is extremely generous.) Whoever came up with this model, thanks. <a href="http://www.tcnj.edu/%7Eadmiss/apply/scholarships.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.tcnj.edu/~admiss/apply/scholarships.html</a></p>
<p>My son's friend. who scored in the 1500's on his SATs and was near the top of graduating class, is going to TCNJ at no cost. The boy had family problems and very limited funds for college, so it worked out very well for him.</p>
<p>There are a lot of folks who want to provide their student with an environment for learning. Qualified students abound at TCNJ. Check out their stats on SAT (not the best indicator, I know) 69% over 600 verbal, 72% over 600 math. When you go up to 700 , 17%v and 23%m. Those are very good numbers for any school, much less one this generous.</p>
<p>TCNJ used to be primarily a teacher's college, but a major effort has been made to transform it into a quality public LAC. I do have to say that I would look very carefully at the quality of the offerings (aside from the quality of the student body, which, as you say, is very good). Some of my coworkers (who I consider to be my friends) have taught basic introductory science courses there on a part time basis. They are good people, but their primary jobs are not in academia. To me, basic courses should be taught by full time professors, not spare timers. I know your daughter is a potential science/premed student, so I would check this out carefully if you are considering the school for her.</p>
<p>A schools so "good" they need to buy quality students. What's wrong with that picture. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. Ewing makes Claremont look like Times Square.</p>
<p>That was sort of unnecessary. The location isn't any worse than a lot of other well-regarded colleges.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Whoever came up with this model, thanks.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I didn't come up with the model, but I certainly pay for it ... so, you're welcome.</p>
<p>It's not that I believe that TCNJ is a fit for my D , and it probably isn't. It is simply that I can appreciate a good idea when I see it. This school could be the answer to someone's dreams, and the vehicle to a productive life, an inspired life. If we are simply paying lip service to concepts of affordability, and "don't mortgage your future" then I think it makes sense to dismiss schools like St. Mary's of Md. Truman State and TCNJ (and public Honor's Colleges at large state schools). If we mean what we say about prestige being overated then these schools deserve our attention not our derision. And Barron's , I (for one) wouldn't want to go to school on Times Square.</p>
<p>Barron's you can have your college on Times Square. I'd much prefer Middlebury.</p>
<p>Deride public honors colleges if you wish , but to a large portion of Middle America , that is the best they are going to do, no matter how smart or accomplished the kid. With the financial aid system as it is, St .Mary's of Md. ,Truman, and the honors colleges at ASU, Arizona, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Alabama, Clemson,Ohio University's HTC among many others are the most realistic choices some students have. Sure, they'll cast a wide net hoping to land a large merit award at a selective uni or LAC, but chances are -they're going to the state school or a less selective private than their stats would suggest.</p>
<p>I appreciate New Jersey having this alternative available .</p>
<p>Actually you can hop on a train from unexciting Ewing and be at Times Square in an hour.</p>
<p>Here in NJ, TCNJ actually is relatively prestigious. Some very smart kids from our hs are there. I generally admire them and their families for making such a sensible decision when finances are the issue.</p>
<p>I live in New Jersey, and I am very thankful that such an option exists. TCNJ is regarded by most in my general area as the place for smart kids who'd otherwise be going to selective private LAC's but don't want to or can't pay the exorbitant tuition such schools levy. I, for one, give it a lot of respect, and plan on applying for a financial safety.</p>
<p>I will be attending Truman State next year due to the scholarships and financial aid that I received. It was cheaper than every other school that I applied to (including schools in-state) and a heck of a lot nicer (if you like small towns in the middle of nowhere, that is). If not for the automatic scholarships, I would probably have ended up attending a community college in the fall.</p>
<p>Ladylazarus and atm junk, what are the towns of Kirkville and Ewing like?</p>
<p>Ditto 3221clk and LadyLazarus. Even though it doesn't really have a national reputation, TCNJ is very prestigious in New Jersey. </p>
<p>
[quote]
A schools so "good" they need to buy quality students.
[/quote]
Most schools do this. Even Caltech, which offers one of the best undergraduate programs in the country, gives scholarships to students at the top of its applicant pool. The fact that TCNJ tries to lure in top students with money doesn't in the least suggest that TCNJ is a mediocre school.</p>
<p>There are several drawbacks to TCNJ, naturally. One is that it used to be a teachers college and is currently in the middle of its ascension to a kind of public LAC, as MotherofTwo said. I've found that, because of this, people in my parents' generation regard TCNJ as a not-so-selective and not-so-great school. On the other hand, teenagers, teachers, GCs, etc seem continuously shocked by TCNJ's growing selectivity, especially when a kid with a 1300 gets rejected. It makes sense though. Many top students from NJ who would otherwise go to Rutgers choose TCNJ because (roughly) Rutgers's top 50% = TCNJ's top 50%, but Rutgers's bottom 50% doesn't exist at TCNJ. </p>
<p>Another drawback is TCNJ's status as a commuter school. But I think that this will change as it attracts more and more good students who are looking for the full college experience.</p>
<p>As did its namesake, I think it would benefit from taking the name of its town rather than the state.</p>
<p>It is a very suburban area, not really a town. Mercer County is not an industrial area like the stereotype some people have of New Jersey. The school is right off I-95, about 20 minutes from Princeton. The area includes affluent towns, and Trenton, the state capital (a poorer city) is also in Mercer County, close to the school. (The school was renamed TCNJ from Trenton State College a few years ago.) It is about one hour from New York City by train and a little closer to Philadelphia, to which you can also take trains. There are malls and shopping areas within a few miles of the school, but I am not sure exactly what, if anything, you can walk to without a car.</p>
<p>TCNJ is a very good public LAC. I know many people from my son's HS in New Jersey who chose to go there. These are good kids academically. TCNJ also has a combined BS/MD program with I think UMDNJ (New Jersey's public Medical college) which is either 7-years or 8-years, I don't know.. A lot of kids take advantage of that here. You don't need to take the MCAT for that program. It is pretty selective. Overall, TCNJ is known to provide a better quality of life and education for undergraduates than Rutgers, the public flagship university of NJ. Of course, if you pose that question to a Rutgers professor, they would beg to differ. There is no doubt that Rutgers has some outstanding faculty as compared to say TCNJ. But overall, the quality of life at TCNJ is better. There was a mom here last year, I think her handle is 'Musicmom' whose son goes there. Her kid is very talented academically and musically.</p>
<p>Curmudgeon... Ewing is a rather boring town in the middle of Jersey's industrial corridor. So as far as location goes, it has nowhere near the natural beauty of St. Mary's of MD. But you can also take a train, bus, or car to NYC fairly easily, which is an advantage.</p>
<p>I looked at TCNJ for my daughter for graphic design. Their program looked great until I realized that they weren't NASAD accredited. When I called them up to ask why, they gave me the crappy answer of ," we are the College of New Jersey and don't see any need for that additional accreditation." Needless to say, I crossed them off our list.</p>
<p>I suggest that with an attitude as they displayed, I would check them out carefully if I were you.</p>
<p>Curmudgeon: Kirksville is your typical small town. There is a movie theater, a Wal-Mart, the college, and not much else. It's maybe an hour from Columbia (home of Mizzou) and ~3 hours from St. Louis. There is a state park right out of town (Thousand Hills State Park). I must reiterate--it's a SMALL town. 15,000 residents. Very spread out, though. If you have a problem with the midwest, you'll have a problem with Truman.</p>
<p>Truman really is a nice school. Every professor I talked to (the majority of which were English and French professors) was completely passionate about what they do. The students are all very white, very Christian, and mostly from Missouri. However, don't let this fool you: everyone is extremely nice. I had people coming up to me and saying hello, which doesn't really happen in Chicago. (Of course, this could be due to my hair - it was blue.)</p>